Valve tool



W. J. CATTEN.

VALVE TOOL. APPLICATION FILED DEC.27, I921.

Patented. Oct. 3, 1922.

VALVE TGOL.

Application filed December 2'3, 1%]... Serial No. 524,927.

To all to 7mm it may concern Be it known that l, llhinirnn J. GATTIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at @niaha, in the county of Douglas and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Valve Tools, cl? which the following is a specification.

'lfhe present invention relates to valve or operating tools, and more particularly to a tool or key for use in turning off the valve located below the surfa -e level of the ground to control the flow of water, gas and the like to buildings.

An object of the present invention is to provide a tool or key of this character which is relatively small and may be conveniently carried by plumbers and the like without the necessity of carrying about a relatively long, heavy and cumbersome device is the case at the present time.

Another object of the invention isto pro vide a key and cooperating joint sections which may be wed in conjunction with scrap or water pipe for building up temporarily, a key or tool, and which obviates the necessity of transporting the entire length of a tool, and which permits of the collapsing or folding oi the tool into a relatively small space when is necessary to carry the entire device.

A further object 01" the invention is to pro vide a tool of this character which. provided with a plurality of joints adapted to be arranged for permitting a flexible or universal movement of the tool shank or handle, so that the tool may be used in confined places, and where a straight shank or handle cannot be conveniently manipulated.

lVith the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will be more fully described hereinafter, and will be more par? ticularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the drawings wherein like symbols refer to like or corresponding parts throughout the several. views,

Fig. l is a side elevation, partly broken away, of a tool or key constructed according to the present invention, and showing the upper portion thereof swung at an angle to the general axis of the tool.

2 is a side elevation of the same folded or collapsed position.

Fig. is an edge view of one of the angles or hinged joints of the tool.

Fig. l is a longitudinal section through the head portion of the tool showing the shank and locking key therein.

Fig. 5 is a transverse section through the same, taken substantially on the line 5-5 of Fig. at. I

6 is a fragmentary side elevation of the upper section of the tool shmvinp; one iorni of handheld therefor. i

Fig. l is a side elevation of aniodiliied term of handhold for the upper section 0' the tool.

Referring to the drawing 10 designates the head of the tool which is 131" terably oi? cylindrical "form, having a downwardly or out wardly tlarinke slot, or kerf 11 into which is adapted to seat the T-head of a valve, such as a valve which controls a water or gas main. 7

The head 10 is provided with a shank 12, i

which projects inwardly from the head, and which is adapted to fit in the end of a pipe section 1.3. The pipe section 13 may he ends of pipe sections 13, and the keys 19 are adapted to lock the shanks in the pipe sections to form rigid parts thereof. One shank such as the shank 17, carries a socket member 20 which may be of Eel-shape with its axis at right angles to that of the shanks l7, and

which is adapted to receive a tongue 2i carried upon the opposite shank l8.

is relatively narrow, and is adapted to fit in the socket 20, and is turned substantially right angles to the axis oiits shank l8, and lies hetween the s; aced portions of the socket 520. A hinge pin 22 isv secured through the socket 20 and the tongue at the free end portions oi? the socket and tongue so as to pivotly con; ct the saniein ofi'set rel..tion to the long udinal axis of the joint, in this manner. the sections may swing one upon. the other, with the pivot an axis shmvn at the top of Fig. 1. The socket 20 may also sea against shoulders :3 which are formed at opposite sides of the tongue 21, and which are adapted to hold the pipe sections and oints normally in alii 'ieut.

By offsetting the pivots oi? the oints, the latter permitting the pipe sections t .LU to be folded one upon the other into substan tially parallel relation so to ina'teio ly shorten the length of the tool when the latter is folded, so that the tool may be placed in a hand toolbox or the like.

ll hen the tool is applied to a valve the same may be rotated by use of a pipe wrench or the like applied to the upper section oi the tool, or the upper sect-ion 13 of the tool T he tongue may be turned ovorat right angles at its upper extremity to form a handhold 13 as shown in .l ig. 6. Another form of permanent handhold is shown in Fig. 7 where a flat loop 13 is provided with a socket flange 13 adapted to fit over the upper end of the section 13 and be riveted or otherwise permanently secured thereto. These handholds, l3 and 13 are adapted to facilitate the turning and lifting of the length of scrap iron pipe or the like generally used in the construction of water and gas supply pipes and which may be found where building operations are carried on. The sh nk l2 provided in one side with a longitudinal slot or lreywa y let- .in which is fitted a key or spline 15, and the latter is oi si'ibstantially triangular cross section, with one side seat against the bottom of the groove 14-, and the adjacent edges forming a dove tail tongue adapted to lit in underlying relation against the lateral overhanging edges of the slot let. lhe hey 15 therefore is. held to the shank 12 and presents an outwardly projecting sharp edge 16, arranged to bite into the inner wall of the pipe section 13. 'l. his head 10 with its shank may therefore be used as a key member and carried by a plumber to the valve, and may be fitted in a length oi scrap pipe which may be found at the location of the valve. The head 10 is forced against the end of the pipe with the shank 12 projecting into the hollow of the pipe. The key 15 may be tapered, as shown in Fig. 4 sons to adapt the lrey member to pipe sections 1.3, oi different internal dianr eters, and also for the purpose of more readily all'ectingthe biting" of the lrey 15, into the end and inner wall of the pipe section.

l' here the valve is located at a considerable depth below the surface level of the ground it may be desirable to use a number of pipe sections 13., and it may also be louiul more convenientto utlizc a plurality of short pipe'sections than in attempting; to find a single pipe se -tion of sullicien': length. To meet these coiulitions, the invention provides a hinge or knuckle which is in the form of a pair of shanks 17 and 18 of a construction similar to the shank 12 of the head, and which are provided in like manner with locking keys 19. The shanks 17 and 18 are adapted to be fitted in adjacent tool and may be used in connection with a pipe or other wrench if found convenient.

In assembling the joints or knuckles of signature in presence of two witnes nee s i0 the tool, as shown in Fig. 1 the yivots 22 are n'eterably located at opposite sides oi? the tool, so that a universal joint is provided by each adjacent pair of the hinges, and also so that the sections 13 may be folded back and forth one upon the other as shown in Fig. 2.

After the tool has been used, the plumber or workman may readily remove the head it) and the hinge joints from the pipe sections 13, and discard the latter so that it will not be necessary to carry about the heavy and cumbersome sections 123.

i do not wise to be restricted to the size form and proportions of the va ions p its and obviously changes could be male in the construction heroin d-scribed without de parting from the spirit of the invention, it being only necessary that such changes fall within the scope oi the appended claims.

ll hat is claimed is:

l. valve operating tool for use with scrap pipe, comprising a head section for engagement with the valve and provided vith a shank acapted to it in the end of a 'len. th of pipe. a spline dovetailed in the sine oi? the shank, and having a cutting edge projecting; beyond the side of the shank said shank being adapted to be titted in the end or" a length of pipe, and said spline being adapted to bite into-tire inner wall of the V urality of independent hinge sections adapted to be fitted between the adja int ds oi a plurality of lengths o'l scrap pipe lor building up a tool of the c esired le th. 2. El. valve operating tool. for use with scrap piprn comprising a. head section ared to lit upon a valvtor turning the j and hai 'ing a shank adapted For in sertion in the end of a length of scrap pipe, said saanlr having in one side a lone, nally extending dove-tail groove. and angg'ularly shaped spline seated in said ed groove. and having; an e A sed beyond the oi the biting genient in .e inner wall oi the pipe sertion said. spline being tapered at 'd connecting edge ior avcozninodatiiur the shai to pipe sections of various diameters and for wedging the spline into place.

In testimony whereoi yl have atliXed iny iVAlIllElt J. t. lVitnesses ARTHUR H. s'runensi 1v iinoair h. oimiens. 

